In a typical electrophotographic reproducing apparatus, a light image of an original to be copied is recorded in the form of an electrostatic latent image upon a photosensitive member. The latent image is subsequently rendered visible by application of electroscopic thermoplastic resin particles which are commonly referred to as toner. The visible toner image is then in a loose powdered form and is usually fused, using a fusing apparatus, upon a support, which may be an intermediate member, or a print medium such as plain paper.
Conventional fusing apparatuses may include a fuser member and a pressure member, which can be configured to include a roll pair maintained in pressure contact or a belt member in pressure contact with a roll member. In a fusing process, heat may be applied by heating one or both of the fuser member and the pressure member.
Some conventional fusing technologies may include the application of fuser oils to the fuser member during the fusing operation, in order to maintain good releasing properties of the fuser member. Other technologies may include an oil-less fusing process, which omits the oil application step from the fusing operations. Oil-less fusing operations have been used for color printers and multi-functional copier-printers in small office and home office market but not for all high speed products.
A fuser member may include a topcoat to achieve target levels of thermal and/or electrical conductivity. For example, a topcoat can include carbon nanotubes (CNT) dispersed within a fluoroelastomer. To form the coating, CNT powder can be dispersed into a fluoroelastomer using, for example, extrusion blending. CNT powder is soluble within fluoroelastomers. A topcoat is disclosed, for example, in USPGP 2013/0017005, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Fluoroplastics may also demonstrate desirable thermal and electrical conductivity for some uses as a coating, for example as a topcoat for a printer fuser member. However, CNT powder is insoluble in fluoroplastics. Attempts at extrusion blending CNT powder into a fluoroplastic can result in CNT being dispersed into the air, thereby resulting in health and safety concerns.
A method for safely forming a coating, such as a fuser member topcoat including a CNT dispersed within a fluoroplastic, would be desirable.